Night covered the palace slowly, like a careful hand lowering a veil. The sky above was deep blue, scattered with distant stars that looked close enough to touch. From the highest balcony, Alex stood still, his hands resting on the cold stone rail as he looked down at the glowing city below.
This world was beautiful. Too beautiful.
Soft lights floated through the streets like fireflies. Towers curved toward the sky with elegant designs that felt alive rather than built. Music drifted faintly on the wind, calm and slow, meant to soothe the heart.
Yet Alex felt none of that calm.
Something was wrong.
It was not fear. Not exactly. It was a pressure in his chest, quiet but constant, like a question he could not answer. Since his rebirth, he had grown used to wonders. Magic no longer surprised him. Luxury no longer dazzled him.
But tonight, the silence felt heavy.
He touched his chest slowly, right over his heart.
The summoning tool did not appear. It rarely did unless he called it. But he could feel it—deep inside him, warm and watchful, like something alive that never slept.
"You're restless again."
The voice came from behind him.
Alex did not turn. He smiled slightly. "I didn't hear you walk in."
"I didn't want you to," Luna replied.
She stepped beside him, her long dark hair moving gently in the night breeze. Her eyes reflected the stars, calm but sharp, as if she was always seeing more than what was visible.
They stood together in silence for a moment.
"The night feels different," Alex said at last.
"Yes," Luna agreed. "The magic is quiet."
"That sounds like a good thing."
"Not when magic is never quiet."
Alex sighed. "So I'm not imagining it."
"No," she said softly. "Something has shifted."
Before he could respond, the balcony doors opened again. This time, the footsteps were firm and confident.
Sophia.
She moved with purpose, her posture straight, her eyes alert. Even without armor, she carried the presence of a warrior who never truly rested.
"Elena felt a disturbance near the outer wards," Sophia said. "Nothing crossed them, but something touched them."
Alex turned to face her fully. "Touched how?"
"Like someone knocking to see if anyone answers."
Luna's fingers tightened slightly on the stone rail. "Testing," she murmured.
As if summoned by her name, Elena stepped out onto the balcony. Her silver hair glowed faintly under the moonlight, and her expression was calm, but her eyes were serious.
"It was brief," Elena said. "Very controlled. Whatever it was did not want to be noticed."
Alex looked between the three of them.
"So," he said quietly, "we're being watched."
Sophia did not hesitate. "Yes."
Alex nodded slowly. Strangely, he felt more focused than afraid.
"When I accepted the summoning tool," he said, "I knew there would be a cost. I just didn't think it would come this quietly."
Elena folded her arms. "That's how dangerous things arrive. Loud threats give you time to prepare. Silent ones wait until you relax."
Luna turned to Alex, her gaze steady. "Have you felt anything unusual from the tool?"
Alex closed his eyes for a moment.
"I feel… distance," he said. "Like it's stepping back. Watching me the way I'm being watched."
"That's not normal," Luna said.
Sophia frowned. "Can it act on its own?"
"No," Alex answered. "At least, it never has."
Elena's lips pressed into a thin line. "Never has does not mean never will."
A light breeze passed through the balcony, cool enough to raise goosebumps. The city below continued its quiet life, unaware of the tension growing above it.
Alex straightened. "We can't pretend this isn't happening."
Sophia nodded. "Agreed."
Elena added, "We need information."
Luna looked at Alex carefully. "And honesty."
Alex met her gaze. "Then ask."
She hesitated, just slightly. "When you died… the deal you made. Were there any conditions you ignored?"
Alex thought back to the moment—darkness, pain, the voice that was neither kind nor cruel.
"It said I could have a second life," he said slowly. "Power. Choice. Creation."
"And in return?" Luna asked.
"My soul," Alex answered. "Or at least… a claim on it."
Silence followed.
Sophia cursed under her breath.
Elena closed her eyes briefly. "A claim is not ownership," she said. "But it can become that."
Alex swallowed. "I didn't think it would come due so soon."
Luna stepped closer to him. "Alex, how often have you used the tool since you arrived here?"
He did not answer immediately.
"Honestly," she added gently.
"Almost every day," he admitted.
Sophia crossed her arms. "That's a lot."
"I wasn't using it to destroy," Alex said quickly. "I wasn't hurting anyone."
"That doesn't matter," Elena said. "Power measures usage, not intention."
The air suddenly changed.
It was subtle, but unmistakable.
The stars above flickered.
The lights in the palace dimmed, then steadied.
A low hum vibrated through the balcony floor.
Sophia moved instantly, stepping in front of Alex.
"Elena," she said sharply.
Elena raised her hand, magic forming around her fingers—but before she could cast anything, the air froze.
Not cold. Still.
A presence pressed against them, unseen but heavy, like standing too close to something vast.
Then the voice came.
It did not come from above or below.
It came from everywhere.
You have taken much.
The sound was deep, slow, and patient.
Alex felt his heart pound.
Sophia clenched her fists.
Luna's eyes glowed faintly.
Elena whispered, "So you finally speak."
Creation without balance invites collapse, the voice continued.
Connection without cost invites correction.
Alex stepped forward, despite Sophia's protest.
"What do you want?" he asked.
There was a pause.
Return, the voice said.
"Return what?" Alex demanded.
What was borrowed.
The pressure eased slightly, but the presence did not leave.
Elena spoke calmly. "If you wanted obedience, you would not speak in riddles."
A faint ripple passed through the air.
You misunderstand, the voice replied.
This is not a demand. It is a warning.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the presence vanished.
The stars returned to normal.
The lights steadied.
The hum faded.
But the silence that followed was far worse.
Sophia lowered her arms slowly. "That wasn't an attack."
"No," Luna agreed. "That was a countdown."
Alex exhaled shakily. "It knows me."
Elena nodded. "And it is no longer content to wait."
They returned inside the chamber, the warmth of the palace doing little to ease the tension. The room felt smaller now, as if the walls themselves were listening.
Alex sat at the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair.
"I never wanted this world to be a battlefield," he said.
Sophia knelt in front of him, meeting his eyes. "Then we make sure it doesn't become one."
Elena leaned against a pillar. "We need to understand the system behind the summoning tool."
Luna sat beside Alex, placing a hand over his. "And you need to decide something important."
Alex looked at her. "What?"
"Whether you continue using the tool the way you always have," she said, "or whether you start preparing for what comes next."
"What comes next?" he asked quietly.
Luna's voice lowered. "Enforcers. Collectors. Things that exist to restore balance."
Sophia stood. "Let them come."
Elena shook her head. "Bravery alone won't save us."
Alex looked at all three of them.
"I brought you into this," he said. "If things get worse, you don't have to stay."
Sophia laughed once. "That's not how bonds work."
Elena smiled faintly. "You created us, yes—but we chose to remain."
Luna squeezed his hand. "And choices matter. That's why they're dangerous."
Alex nodded slowly.
"Then we prepare," he said.
At that exact moment, pain tore through his chest.
He gasped, doubling over.
Sophia caught him instantly. "Alex!"
The summoning tool appeared on its own, glowing dark red for the first time.
Symbols Alex had never seen before crawled across its surface.
Luna stared at it in shock. "It's updating."
Elena's eyes widened. "No… it's unlocking."
A final symbol burned itself into the air.
TRIAL ONE INITIATED
Alex looked up, breath unsteady.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
Before anyone could answer, the floor beneath them cracked with a sharp, echoing sound.
And somewhere far beyond the palace walls, something ancient opened its eyes.